Mrs. BostonJoe came home today flabbergasted. She was driving home from shopping and happened upon a “Right To Life” protest that was attempting to block access to a women’s health clinic in our university town. Their presence, and propaganda, really got her dander up. She relayed the story of how she rolled down the window and tossed a few choice words in their direction. But, her preemptive F-bomb strike did not make her feel better, and she was shaking angry by the time she got home. Since I have become a public activist (in the past two weeks or so) we decided to make up some signs and go clash with the crusaders.
We had some decent signs. A picture of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and the blessing, “May you be touched by His Noodly Appendage.” And, my favorite – “The Flying Spaghetti Monster says: Theocracy Sucks.”
Unfortunately, we did not get back to the scene of the protest in time. The religious whack-jobs had packed up their fetus pictures and gone back to their homes and churches.
I don’t suppose Mrs. BostonJoe will have to be troubled by these protests much longer. With the addition of Roberts and whatever other fascist Bush nominates, and Senate Democrats rubber stamp, I don’t suppose there will be women’s health clinics for the fanatics to try to close in the next few years, as they will be illegal. But the whole thing got me thinking about the Religiosification of Public Speech in America. So I scribbled down these thoughts, and wrote this diary.
I personally remember the moment when I realized that America was becoming a theocratic society. It was during a debate between John McCain and George W. Bush in the 2000 primary season. (At least that is my memory of it – correct away ‘o wise political junkies). Batshit loopy was asked by a reporter, “Who is your favorite philosopher?” I am sure the reporter was following up on the general sense in the media that “W” lacked depth and was kind of stupid. It was a gotcha question, the reporter thinking (and most likely being right) that the dim feeb could not name a single Western philosopher, and that even if he did, he wouldn’t have the foggiest notion of what that philosopher said. Of course, those of you who saw this, remember the answer. Dumb shit got that stupid pensive look on his face, the one he gets when he is trying real hard to think, and then he said, “Well, I guess I would have to say Jesus Christ.”
My initial reaction was one of jubilation. I was so pleased that a reporter had the balls to ask the fuck wad a good question, and convinced that no one in the world could possibly respect a douche bag who named Jesus Christ as his favorite philosopher, that I thought it was the end of his stupid ass candidacy.
Of course, the fudie prez went immediately on to whop McCain’s ass. And the whole “injecting Jesus” into our public debate became fashionable. And I realized that the America I loved, where church and state were separate entities, was pretty much abolished by public ignorance.
I have since seen Canadian politicians being interviewed, completely perplexed at the political viability of a man who so publically embraces religion. Ah, those silly Canucks – to live in a country not founded by Puritans. What a hoot.
The signs were all there, well before Dumbya answered the question.
Football players were pointing to the sky. Baseball players crossed themselves. All in the public temples our stadiums had become.
Courts sentenced drunks and addicts to probationary conditions, requiring their attendance at sessions where they could confess their wrongs to a higher power.
Business advertising their faith, with little slogans and fish and crosses, and voice messages to “have a Blessed day” became all the rage.
It is rare for a month to pass without someone ringing my bell to tell me about Jesus, and their personal interpretation of how I can find him.
Fundamentalist U.S. military leaders hold “Prayer Meetings” and openly discuss the biblical interpretations of Armegeddon.
I can’t buy beer before noon on Sunday.
School boards had been hi-jacked by the radical right.
I remember a time, not long ago, before Batshit Loopy’s anointment of Philosopher Jesus, when to speak of God and Jesus in a public setting was cause for laughable scorn. I used to work in a small town. A freaking right-wing town. And there was this fundie lawyer. A recovering drunk. Probably got his religion from an AA meeting for all I know. He would come to court frequently, and loosely talk of God and morality in the courthouse, both off and on the record. And he was widely scorned for it. Not so much to his face, but continually behind his back. The general consensus I remember, from that time, was that God and morality were your private matters, for your own time, and if you insisted on trying to flaunt them in public, you were going to be shunned and scorned.
I was a lot more comfortable then.
Now, not only are the fundie nut-jobs constantly railing about Jesus in their fucking election and policy speeches, even the supposed left-leaning party is consumed with trying to bring their articles of faith into the public domain. I remember John Kerry wasting days trying to define himself as a moral Catholic. I don’t remember any candidate wasting any days talking about serious energy reform, or serious proposals to battle global warming. And, I sure as hell see enough diaries on here calling the “dearly beloved” to direct their spiritual energies.
Now, we are engaged in public battles about whether we should teach science or religion to our children in public schools. And whether they should be made to say a pledge of allegiance to their country and our supposed one God. And just looking at the field of debate, I have to despair about the level of intelligence in this fucking nation. How can we address serious problems, when a good majority of our people think that their children should be taught that a deity has specially created our species (and we are therefore blessed creatures). You can’t solve problems dealing with people like this. You can’t even rationally debate people like this. And people like this are everywhere. We the people, are people like this.
I say (and I suspect that most of the other agnostics, atheists and non-monotheists out there would agree) that religion, at best, is a waste of your precious time here on the planet, and, at worst, is a force that is driving massive destruction in the world.
And I am having a fuck of a time distinguishing President “Let’s Have A National Day of Prayer” Bush from Osama “Let’s Blow Some Fuckers Up” bin Laden. They are both warring parties for their Gods. And neither of their Gods fucking exist. So they are people blowing people up for fantasy in my book.
To me, it is time to return our government to the province of reality-based principles. No more faith-based bullshit. I think public speech that deals with faith deserves scorn from those of us who either are god-less, or have faith, and know that it should be observed respectfully and in private.
Just my two cents.